McDonald's Caramel Pudding McFlurry

Starting tomorrow, McDonald's will start offering a seasonal Caramel Pudding flavored McFlurry, which contains a caramel and custard sauce.

http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/campaign/mcflurry/index.html

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Pokka Salt Joy

One of the keywords in the food industry this year, especially the summer months, has to be salt. This is especially interesting to me, as I think stories where an ingredient or product to be avoided all the sudden turns desirable are fascinating. Healthy gums and healthy oils have turned the impression of these products on their heads. Benecol has turned around the image of some spreads, and here we have salt. No technological innovation here, just realizing an unmet need and marketing it well.

The background and message are as follows: Japanese summers can be brutal. Not only are the temperatures high, but the humidity can make it hard to breathe. Combine that with lifestyles that keep people outdoors more than countries such as the US, and some days it can be miserable. Relatives from the US visited recently and even those the temperatures in the US are at record highs and higher than temperatures here, they commented that it was worse in Japan. That in large part is due to necessities such as walking to bus stops, to train stations, to work, etc. If your commute is long, you could end up drenched in sweat by the time you reach work.

Add to this the more enviornmentally friendly, but not always as effective, cooling in Japan, which is often via a room cooler and not by a central unit. So you have very hot areas inside each house.

Under these conditions, especially in August, people involved in sports and elderly people are prone to heat stroke. Adequate intake of liquids has been preached for years, but now the importance of electrolyte balance has gained wide recognizion. And here is where salt comes in to play. People realize the need for adequate salt intake in these situations, so salt (or 塩) can be found in large print on products from every manufacturer. This post is much longer than usual, but I plan on posting several examples over the next few days showing products from most of the larger companies which boast added salt.

This Pokka sports drink is one of the most in your face, as it is called "Salt Joy".

http://pokka.jp/enjoysupport/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Tokyo Banana 20th Anniversary

As mentioned before, Tokyo Banana has become something of a Tokyo institution. They are celebrating 20 years of the product. I suppose they are emphasizing how long it has been around, but I sort of look at it the opposite way - in only 20 years it as become an institution. That makes it much younger than most other well known regional sweets.

http://www.tokyobanana.jp/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

KFC HIS Promotion

Kentucky Fried Chicken is collaborating with H.I.S. in a promotion where the grand prize is 1 million yen in travel coupons. This promotion also involves Ponta, the digital money service which both of these companies accept. H.I.S. is the largest Japanese discount ticket travel agency for foreign destinations. Entry requires registering for the email magazine via a mobile phone.

http://www.his-j.com/ponta/kfc/

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.

Budweiser Girls Japan‏

Budweiser uses the same "Budweiser Girls" marketing strategy in Japan, but while much may look familiar, the Japanese emphasis on cuteness is also obvious.

http://www.budweiser.jp/main.html

Photo is a web capture for explanatory purposes, copyright belongs to the company.